With my eyes wanting to shut and my head getting dizzy because I’ve been up for almost 20 hours now, I am writing this first post of 2019 to look back on the year that was.

2018 was a year of firsts for me; a lot of new things, experiences, and feelings happened to me along with sudden changes and unexpected turn of events which is why I think that last year was indeed a roller coaster ride! 🎢

FIRST THINGS FIRST

I started the year with an attempt to watch my weight. 😁So I let myself go on a “Meatless Monday” challenge which I was able to do for 4 months straight. I decided to stop though since I am having a hard time figuring out what to eat. 😅 I recorded these Mondays on my Instagram stories so I can show the world aka my friends that I am not cheating on my meals. lol

SELF PROCLAIMED FOODIE

After weeks of hesitation, I have decided to create my own food page on FB where I can post reviews and insights of food places in Cavite. All it took was 1 boring graveyard shift in January then the page was up in no time. 😅 It now has almost 20,000 followers and I am hoping to reach more this year and share with them all the lovely food of my hometown. 🤗

TURN OF EVENTS

February is special. Of course, that’s my birthday month! 😂 I spent it in Subic with my friends; filled with booze and laughter and of course non stop food trip. Right after I went back from my birthday leave, I was greeted by the news that I was being retrenched from work and I have only 2 days left to finalize things. It was a bitter-sweet moment for me. First time in more than 7 years that I will not be working. And though my mindset was “ahhh I can finally rest!”, deep inside I was like “oh shit what am i going to do now” 😬

DOWNTIME

I indulged myself with 5 months of downtime, mostly trying to do things for myself. I spent summer with my friends in Lucban and was able to visit Siargao without filing a vacation leave! I was always on the go whenever friends asked me to meet with them. I visited museums, went on more food trips than my body can handle lol, I stayed up late listening to my favorite songs, even went to the gym for 2 months because andami kong time! I watched concerts (LANY and Ed Sheeran) and went on staycations to make up on lost sleep from 7 years of working. It was fun.. it really was! Until I found myself alone several times, confused and struggling to find my sense of purpose. That’s when I decided to go back to work; distraction and income sound good to me! So come July, (after several emotional breakdowns), I am back in my previous company for a new challenge to take with a more mature mindset. 🤔

ME AND PEOPLE

I want to give myself a tap on the back for opening up to people in 2018. Well, yeah I know I still have awkward small talks and several missed high fives and failed beso, but believe me, I have improved so much with my people skills! Haha Someone even told me that my aura seems lighter now than the previous years that she knew me. 😅 I guess it was because of my realization that I can’t go around always shutting people out (though I still have those unavoidable moments). I also love the fact that I am now more in touch with my friends; we make time to meet once in a while and talk as often as we can. 😊 I also met some wonderful people in 2018, not gonna name names but I hope to God that you are reading this. Yes you, I am talking about you. 🤙

GOING PLACES

Lucky enough, I was able to visit 3 countries in 2018: Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea. I super enjoyed the first two but Korea is extra special to me. It was my first time to travel solo and it was an amazing experience! I totally recommend it! 🤗

ALL THINGS KOREAN

Thanks to 2 of my friends, I have officially joined the Korean culture fandom (is that how you call it lol) halfway through 2018. 🤗 I started watching K-dramas, movies, listening to Korean songs and eating Korean food. I discovered BTS and fell in love with them! haha A lot of people got surprised that I became a fan, but in all honesty, I think my korean heart was just waiting to be discovered. ☺️

SELF DISCOVERY

2018 has also been a journey of self-discovery. So many things I didn’t know about myself that I was able to find out this year. I didn’t know I can get sad out of little things, be happy when it is quiet, feel things I haven’t felt before, laugh as if it was my last and that I can daydream for hours. 😆 As the saying goes, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” so I plan on continuing this for the years to come. 🙂

So there, I might have left out some details but these are basically the highlights of last year. Let’s start the new year right. Remember to always love and be kind. 🤗 For now, I will sleep the rest of the first day of 2019 away. See you, my friends! ❤️

They said that you should travel alone at least once in your life.. so that’s exactly what I did during my recent trip. Last May, I unhesitatingly booked a flight to Seoul knowing that I would probably be going there by myself. Because what could go wrong? And I had 6 months to prepare; physically, financially, and most importantly, emotionally. 🙃

As November approaches, I started to get excited. I’ve been looking up recent tags on Instagram on the daily just to check on autumn colors, street food and autumn wear. 😊 I’ve also added Seoul to my weather app so I could monitor how cold it’s going to be during my stay. But out of all the excitement, I must admit I had times of fear and doubt too. Can I do it? What if I get lost? What if I ran out of money? A lot of what if’s and dire situations in my head.. But I knew I had to do it.. if not now, when? So I packed my bags, hopped on a plane to a foreign country.. and I tell you… IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS I HAVE EVER MADE! 🛫

I realized that Seoul is a great city. Whether or not you’re a K-pop, K-drama, K-culture fan, you will appreciate how fast yet simple, chaotic but organized, don’t-care-about-you yet friendly this city is. That is just one realization though; here are more eye-opening takeaways from my trip that I hope would encourage you to go on that adventure of a lifetime. 🤗

PLANNING

Since I will be alone, I had to be extra extensive with my research on where to go, which train to take, which exit to look for, etc. My itinerary was done in details by a good friend of mine so it was one less off my worries. 🤗 If you have everything planned ahead, then you’re good to go.

I AM THE BOSS

I enjoy going to trips with someone but going solo is something different. I got to choose when, where, what to eat. I got to walk on my own pace and get coffee whenever I feel like it. I didn’t have to consider anybody else’s interests. I can stop when I felt tired and stay for an hour in a K-pop store just because I want to. 🤗

ME TIME

In essence, the whole trip was a “me time”. But I especially enjoyed those times when I get to sit in a cafe, have coffee and pastry, and watch people pass by. There are even times when I found myself sitting by a train station just because I wanted to stay there. Those quiet moments when you are alone are something to cherish and be thankful for.

DECISION MAKING

Not all trips are perfect. Even if you had everything planned out, there will be minor mishaps along the way. These will help you be more decisive and trust your instinct. Like when I can’t find the bus station going to the airport, I had to carry my 16 kg luggage to the train station and transfer lines to the airport railway. Not part of the plan but needs to be done, or else I will miss my flight. 😅

MONEY MANAGEMENT

This trip really tested my patience and control with spending. With all the good food, clothes and merch in front of me, I really had to hold myself back from buying things that I shouldn’t be buying. 😔 Knowing that there’s no one to help me in case I ran out of funds, I ended with some extra cash to take home with me. 💪

SELF DISCOVERY

A few days of being alone is enough time to reflect and think without distractions. To determine how you feel, what you want to do, and understand yourself. Also a great time to decide which destination to book next. 😁

Seeing the lovely autumn colors, eating authentic k-bbq, experiencing below 10 degree weather, are all but bonuses of this trip. Being able to go on this journey is an achievement in itself. Would I go on a solo trip again? Yes, 100% yes!!! 🤗

Footnote: April and Rej, if you are reading this, huge thank you for guiding me on this trip and providing most of the info i need. Especially for staying up with me until i found my hostel. ❤️ Let’s Seoul 2019, my friends?? 😁

Few days back from our vacation in Siargao and I’m already missing its food. Yes, the food. 😋

My expectations with regard to everything Siargao related has been met. We were able to see its surf and picturesque views. We also stayed at 3 different locations which gave us amazing vantage points of the island. My favorite though would be the very laid back island vibe; palm trees all around, people are not in a hurry, everyone’s nice and all smiles and there’s always good food somewhere within walking distance. 5 days in Siargao is short but enough for us to go island hopping for a day then the rest were spent for walking, sitting, eating by the beach. 🤗

Presenting the food (and places) of Siargao… 😁

PACIFICO BEACH RESORT

A 25-minute tricycle ride from the airport takes you to Pacifico Beach Resort in San Isidro; we decided to spend day 1 here since it’s away from the crowd of General Luna (the main tourist area). An overnight stay at their beachfront garden house room is around P1500 via airbnb. It includes a fan room (who needs aircon when you have seabreeze) on the second floor of their restaurant, private cr and this view from our balcony:

The room was super simple and super clean as well, mahihiya ka magpasok ng tsinelas! The balcony doubles as a yoga class venue in the morning and afternoon. We spent the afternoon walking by the road where we saw some surf shops then decided to sit by the restaurant for some drinks followed by dinner. We had buko juice, beer, chicken wings and fish and chips. The following morning, we had breakfast by the beach while enjoying some bacon, eggs with red rice. 🤗 Each dish costs around P250.

We then transferred to General Luna via habal habal to Kierra’s Homestay. It was an hour ride which costs P1K. 😭 Okay na rin, since it’s far. We stayed at Kierra’s for 2 nights; the airbnb host, Andre, was super nice and helpful, napasubo ako sa englishan haha. The place also cost P1500 / night and is located within walking distance from the Tourism Road and the famous Kermit Restaurant. The room has AC, private CR and own balcony in a gated compound.

LA CARINDERIA

Along Tourism Road is this Filipino / Italian fusion restaurant which always shows up whenever I search for food in Siargao. We had chicken adobo with rice, pasta ala bolognese, calamansi and banana juice. Each dish is around P300. Their adobo is just okay, but their pasta is amazing! It uses handmade tagliatelle pasta with super tasty, meaty sauce. 😋

KERMIT RESTAURANT

First night in General Luna is reserved for their famous pizza. Good thing our place is only 2 blocks from there so we arrived early for dinner; still, we had to wait for almost an hour to be seated. While waiting, we stayed at the bar and took advantage of their happy hour til 7PM (b1t1 cocktails for P180!) I sipped through 2 glasses of mango daiquiri, getting myself prepped for dinner. 🤪

Of course, we had to try the pizza. We opted for the Napoletana Pizza (P260) with parma ham (P50) and Linguine Sea Food (P320). I very much enjoyed the pizza since I like prosciutto.🤗 Pasta was nice too with fresh seafood, these two make a great combo.

PLEASURE POINT CAFE

Few meters from where we are staying at is this cafe claiming to be the best coffee spot on the island.. but we didn’t try any hehe. We just had egg with bacon crepe and french toast with bacon since we are joining an island hopping tour. The crepe seems a little dry but I love the french toast! P360 for both.

MYSIARGAOGUIDE

After breakfast, we’re off to island hopping! It’s called the 3-island tour since you will be visiting wait for it… 3 islands! haha Those are Guyam, Daku and Naked islands. Tour costs P1k, inclusive of shared boat ride, fees, morning snack (puto and turon), buffet lunch, drinks and booze!! They also provide activities like frisbee, jenga, floating beer pong and more. Our tour was booked via @/mysiargaoguide, just go to Bravo Resort to have your name listed.

MAMA’S GRILL

If you want something budget friendly and don’t really care about the taste of food then go here! Haha No hate, pero walang lasa para sakin, mura lang talaga. I enjoy grilled food usually but not this. ☹️ We had barbecue, porkchop and isaw + 2 cups of rice for P190.

LUNARES CAFE

There was power interruption island wide so most of cafes are closed. This Italian coffee shop though is open but with limited menu option because of the blackout so I was only able to try their croissant with parma ham and cheese (P200). Light but filling, could have been better if I had coffee with it. But still good. 😊

CAFE LOKA

We basically had iced coffee for lunch since we got stuck at Cafe Loka while waiting for the rain to stop. This one is located at Cloud 9’s beachfront with unobstructed view of surfers. Probably the best drink I had in all of Siargao (next is the mango daquiri 😂). Deep coffee taste and milky at the same time, basta ansarap and refreshing!! 😋

PAYAG SUITES

This isn’t a food spot but I believe our last accommodation deserves a highlight here. After Cafe Loka, we walked towards Ocean101 and just beside it is Payag Suites where we spent our last night in the island. It’s a 2-storey house, which can be rented separately; we had the upstairs room. It has a spacious room with super clean wooden floors, AC, nice bathroom with hot water and rainshower; plus wide window for natural light and this view:

I also booked this via airbnb for around P2300 / night. The host was super accommodating too, though I was not able to meet him personally. If ever you are going to Siargao and see his place is vacant, book it immediately! There are some mosquitoes at night though, bearable naman and the host said he will do something about it. So yeah, I still recommend it. 🤗

MIGUEL’S TAQUERIA & CERVECERIA

We’re off to the town for some burrito and taco for late lunch. Miguel’s is a small, corner food spot with only 2 tables in front. I heard they serve good fish tacos so I tried them (P110). It was good; fish was tender and served in soft shell taco. I like it. 👍

RONALDO’S INN & RESTOBAR

For familiar food choices go here. They serve grilled meat and different Filipino dishes. We had grilled chicken, vegetable fried rice and garlic shrimps for P400 total. Not bad, Not great. Just okay. Hehe

SHAKA CAFE

Their power bowls are of the reasons why I went to Siargao. I’m a fan of acai smoothie so I can’t wait to try their Bom Dia which is basically with acai berries, mango, coconut and granola. For P300, it comes with coffee. The verdict? MASARAP! All caps para intense! It has really lived up to its hype and I think I can eat this everyday (if it costs less) haha. Seriously, try this when in Siargao. ❤️

LAIDA’S EATERY

Our last meal in the island is also the cheapest. This turo turo style eatery is just in front of the entrance to Cloud 9, where our van transfer to the airport is picking us up. We had fried pork, adobong sitaw and rice for only P155. 👍

Indeed, Siargao is worth visiting not only for swimming, surfing and the island vibes but also for the food! 😋 In case you’re not hungy yet, here are more photos of Siargao to satisfy your thirst for the sea. 😍

• free FAST WIFI connection (so fast I was able to stream episodes of my current series haha)

These room features alone already made the stay worth its price. But wait, there’s more! As guests, you can use their swimming pool at the second floor! 😊

SWIMMING POOL

What better way to beat the summer heat than take a swim? Well, okay I can’t swim but still great to soak myself in water. 😁 They have a kiddie and an adult pool; though the latter is only until 4ft deep. They also provide pool towels. 👍

BUFFET BREAKFAST

Breakfast the next morning was served at their in-house resto Amico which also serves ala cart items til dinner.

Though the selection of food is not very wide, they made sure that guests get the essentials. There’s steamed and fried rice, longganisa, mixed veggies, chicken tapa, asian noodles, potato wedges, salad station, yogurt, kimchi, some fresh fruits, bread station with different spreads, egg station, some choices of cereals and milk, and bacon!! Though their bacon is almost chicharon na, I would’ve enjoyed it more kung chewy/soft sya. 😂

MOTHER’S DAY TREAT

As I mentioned above, this booking includes a mother’s day gift which is a bag with a pillow, a can of luncheon meat and a pack of penne from La Filipina. Not bad at all. 😂 And we received 2 bags. lol

During breakfast, they also served bread with mother’s day greeting while Thanks To You is playing as background song. Nice touch! 😍

WORTH IT

Hotel 101 is a great choice for staying within the city. Location is perfect; very near MOA, plus Double Dragon plaza and Blue Bay Walk are walking distance. There’s also 711 at the ground floor of the hotel. Room is clean and everything functions well. We also didn’t encounter any problems during our stay. Customer service is good. 👍

Since it is only around 4 hours drive away from Cavite, Quezon has become our getaway of choice for the weekend. We were on the road as early as 5AM and reached our first stop in Lucban by 10AM (including a breakfast stop over in Los Baños, Laguna).

Where to Go

A trip to Quezon is not complete without paying a visit to Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban. It is a pilgrimage site where you can attend a healing mass and walk more than 300 steps up the hill where you can reach the Risen Christ statue. You can also buy religious keepsakes here. Admission is free.

Where to Stay

Across Kamay ni Hesus is Batis Aramin Resort and Hotel. If you are looking for a resort with swimming pools, well appointed rooms and relaxing views, then this is for you. They have villas, family rooms and hotel-like rooms perfect for barkada get-aways. We stayed at their Marikit rooms; each with 2 queen size beds, ensuite bathroom with hot/cold shower, aircon, coffee/tea making facility, complete with toiletries. There’s also a spacious balcony leading to the swimming pool.

Located at the foot of Mt. Banahaw, expect great views and an abundance of greens since the resort is surrounded by trees. Enjoy cold spring water in the swimming pool, perfect for beating the summer heat! If you are into thrill, they also have facilities for ziplining, wall climbing and rappelling.

You can also bring as much food as you like and use their grill free of charge. If you are not into cooking, they have a restaurant where you can order mostly Filipino food. We brought food for grilling and also tried some food from the resto. Their lomi, sinigang, and hardinera (Lucban dish like an embotido) were all gooood! 😋 Breakfast was also included which was served at one of their pavillions. Lucban longganisa, fried rice, eggs, bread and spread, watermelon to fuel the day. 👍

Rates go from P3000 and up, depending on the room type. Check their website / FB page for updated rates and reservation.

Where to eat

For affordable lunch, go to Mustiola’s at the town proper. Named as the best carinderia in town, you can enjoy lutong ulam starting at P45 per order. They also have cook-to-order dishes like lechon manok, pancit and more.

For nature themed dining, try Kamayan sa Palaisdaan in Tayabas. A 15-minute drive from Batis Aramin will take you to this floating restaurant which serves tasty Filipino food; great for sharing. I recommend their pork sisig, ginataang tilapia and steamed talong. 😋 Budget is around P300 per person.

For pasalubong, stop by Eker and Ely’s near Lucban Church. They have different choices of packed goods that you can take home with you. They also sell Lucban longganisa by the dozen. These are garlicky and slightly sour pork sausages which originated from this town.

Me and my friends definitely had a great time during our visit, especially at the resort and with the food! 😂 Quezon is one of the nearby towns that is worth the visit this summer. They also celebrate the Pahiyas Festival every May.

Located just a block away from the Mall of Asia Arena, Golden Phoenix Hotel Manila has become my accommodation of choice whenever I attend an event nearby. This is my second time staying here, and it still has the same value for money as before. 👍

Lobby was spacious with friendly staff. Check-in time is 2PM while check out is 12noon the next day. If it’s your first time, you might get confused since there’s no direct elevator to rooms; you need to first take an escalator up to the second floor then walk to the guest elevator which will take you to higher floors (our room was at the 6th floor). Note that this hotel shares the building with a residential condo and there’s a dedicated resident’s elevator. Also, they take P3000 incidental deposit upon check in which you can pay in cash or card. Of course this will be refunded upon check out minus charges that you incurred during your stay.

Desk with comfy chairs perfect for eating our late lunch that is the Mini Stop fried chicken 😂

Buffet breakfast was served at the Gold Spices Restaurant at the 7th Floor. It had all the hearty dishes that you will need as energy for the day. There was an egg station, bread and spread selections, cereals with milk and yogurt, red and white sauce for pasta, congee station, fruits and make-your-own salad. You can also enjoy some garlic rice, boneless bangus, corned beef, danggit, sausages and more. No bacon 🙃 but there’s french toast and pork / shrimp siomai which I really enjoyed. 😋

You can also use their gym and swimming pool at the same floor as the restaurant. Though we didn’t find it inviting and water was cold.

I noticed that their tariff rates are too high so I suggest that you book in advance via a 3rd party site and try to snatch a promo. I got this overnight stay with breakfast via Traveloka for only P2,800. 👍 Not bad considering its location and features. And since I mentioned that I have attended an event, here’s Ed Sheeran with one of his songs from the #DivideTourMNL. ➗

Whether you are out for business, an event or just plainly trying to break your daily routine, staying at Novotel is a great choice! Located just beside Araneta Coliseum, this is the perfect place to come home to after a concert. 😊

Managed by Accor Hotels, the same hotel group that operates Sofitel and Raffles, you can expect the same great hospitality at Novotel. It’s a 4-star hotel with 401 rooms all designed with a modern vibe while still keeping its classy style.

The hotel lobby was bright and welcoming. Check-in process was also a swift. I booked for a Superior Room but they upgraded it to the next category which is a Deluxe Room, for free! 🤗 Aside from that, we were also able to check out late without extra charge. 👍

What we got in the Deluxe Room:

Flatscreen LED TV

City view – Araneta Coliseum entrance which is perfect so I can monitor the volume of people at the concert 😁

The room was also well lit with different switches so you can choose which lights/lamps to use and combine them to your preference. Let me also highlight the abundance of power outlets! I swear, you will not run out of sockets to charge your gadgets all at the same time. Both sides of the bed has them plus some more at the front wall and bathroom. Plus they have included a panel with all the connecting ports that you might need; from hdmi, usb, audio/video ports for the tv and more!

The hotel also has an in-house restaurant and ice cream store. But if you want to eat out, there’s Gateway Mall just few meters away and different restaurants at the other side of the road (Army Navy, Pizza Hut, Bonchon, J.Co, Buddy’s, etc).

Amenities

There’s a kid play area, gym and swimming pool at the 6th Floor. The Premiere Lounge is at the 24th floor which can be accessed by guests staying at least in an Executive Suite.

There is a kids pool and an adult pool with lounge chairs and lifeguard.

Breakfast

Our accomodation comes with free buffet breakfast at the Food Exchange at the ground floor. They have a wide variety of food choices from usual Filipino breakfast to Middle Eastern dishes. There are different kinds of breads, pizza, cereal, salad with dressing of your choice, cold cuts, pastries, arabic condiments, a pickle station, eggs cooked your style, make your own taho!, congee station, freshly pressed juices, and most importantly 2 kinds of bacon! 🤗

As if traditional bacon is not enough, they added Canadian Bacon to the selection! It is a low fat version of the usual bacon but equally good! 🥓

For me though, the star of the breakfast would be the Stromboli. It’s like a turnover filled with thick slice of meat, almost like bacon. Super tasty and a perfect combination of meaty and starchy. It’s like a pizza but not really. 😋

In all, this hotel has by-far provided one of the best staycations I’ve had. Staff are nice, always all smiles and willing to help. The price? I suggest that you check their website or FB page from time to time for available promos and perks. I got this stay for P4,500 from their summer promo which is a much lower rate than an already discounted price from other 3rd party booking sites.

Let me end this post with the main reason why I chose this hotel. I attended day 2 of Lany’s Manila concert and didn’t want to stress myself commuting with the surge of crowd coming from the show. Since Novotel is just next door to Araneta, it was perfect. So here’s Lany with their hit ILYSB as their closing song of the night. ❤️🌹

We have decided to spend my birthday this year within the city for a change so I booked an overnight stay at Selah Garden Hotel in Pasay, blog post here. Along with that, I came across this BDO promo where celebrants enjoy 50% off the price for Marriott Cafe’s buffet lunch or dinner. I said to myself, this is perfect. 😋

I called them to reserve a table 3 days in advance; though when we got there the receptionist said that there’s no reservation made under my name. But good thing, they can still accomodate us and I can still avail of the promo. Just moments after that, we have been ushered to our table and told us that we can start checking the buffet spread. Few minutes after that, I have been served their drink of the month. Each celebrant gets this drink for free; though I totally forgot what it’s called.. watermelon something. Very refreshing but I only had a sip since I don’t want to get full just yet. 😂

We headed to the buffet area to check what they have. In comparison to other buffet restaurants, Marriott Cafe is smaller with fewer choices. That’s not a bad thing though! Judging by the selection, they may be few but you can guarantee by how they look (and taste) that these are good ones. You know, I would rather have few fine food than a lot of what I wouldn’t enjoy. 😋

They have fruits section, choices of ham and cheese, fish, shrimp, vegetable tempura, a salad station, choices of middle eastern cuisine, some Filipino food from sinigang to binagoongan. They also have a grill station where you request choice of seafood grilled on the spot. You can also select from their fresh sustainable catch where they have shrimps, mussels and crabs. For dessert, you can choose from different flavors of gelato and cakes.

The star for me though would have to be the Beef Rump! This is a kind of steak that is part of their carving station. It is cooked medium rare but you can ask for it to be served on whatever doneness you prefer. It was super tender and tasty and flavorful. I swear, I still smile just by thinking about it. 😋 To be honest, dito palang sulit na.

Since it was my birthday, I also received a personalized cake served with a birthday song from the staff. 🎉 I had the cake boxed since I’m already full. We ate it the next day; still moist and tasty. 😋 They got my name wrong though, but it’s okay. 😂👍

Service was very good too. The server that was assigned to us was very attentive; she saw me get some ice cream and then all of a sudden she’s beside me handing me a spoon, “Maam spoon for your ice cream po”. She also realized that the spelling of my name on the cake is wrong and she apologized. These kinds of service go a long way and make me want to go back. If only I can celebrate my birthday more than once a year. 😂

Should you wish to do the same, celebrate an occasion or just enjoy a nice buffet meal, here are the rates for reference:

Of course, it’s best if you have a qualified BDO card so you can avail of the 50% off rate. 👍Some key items for the promo:

Last weekend, me and my friends went on a much needed break from the city aka food trip sa malayo. 😂 After about 3 hours on the road, we found ourselves in Subic Holiday Villas where we will spend the night.

After checking in and few hours in the swimming pool, we’re off to catch the sunset. Then finally, dinner! 🤗

MEAT PLUS CAFE

They said that a trip to Subic is not complete without trying Meat Plus; that is evident with the amount of people dining during dinner. For P220, enjoy fall off the bone bbq pork ribs with rice and buttered veggies plus drink. Add P10 for bottomless drinks. They also have other combo meals with grilled chicken (also gooood!), burger steak, pork belly and burgers. If you fancy better cuts and meat portions, they also have tenderloin and ribeye for around P400. Indeed a must-try!

Hotshots Diner

We went out late for lunch the next day and apparently, Coco Lime closes after 2PM. So we decided to try this diner that we saw last night. It has the usual diner vibe with mostly music / movies memorabilia from the 50s and I somehow expected for food to be pricey as well. But wait, food is surprisingly affordable and comes in big servings! Tachos (taco style nachos) for P150, quarter pounder burger meal for P135-P150, and fish fillet with rice for P150. Busog and tastes good too! Not bad at all! 😋👍

Coco Lime

At dahil di kami patatalo with our ‘nandito na rin lang tayo‘ mentality, we waited til 5PM for Coco Lime to open for dinner. 😂 We tried the famous pineapple rice which is the main reason why we want to eat here. I like it but I personally like the bagoong rice more, because I’m a bagoong kind of girl. 🤗 We also had pancit guisado, chicken sisig and pinakbet (gotta have veggies!). Everything is good! Perfect for group dining and sharing. Definitely worth the wait.

Obviously, everything we ate during this overnight trip to Subic is good! These 3 restos should be included in must-try places when in Subic. Aside from these though, there are a lot more restos that you can try; we saw an abundance of Korean food, steakhouses and those serving Filipino cuisine. So just take your pick and go on a food trip! 🤗

If you are looking for affordable but decent hotel within the metro, then this is for you! Yes, you read it right. The photo above is just at the heart of Pasay City.

Located in Park Avenue Street, this is only few blocks away from MRT/LRT Taft station and is a good central location if you are planning to go to let’s say MOA, Makati or even to the airport. I must admit though, the area can be a little sketchy so I suggest that you take a grab/uber ride whenever you go in/out the hotel.

What I like:

check in / check out process was swift plus they offer welcome drink while waiting

mid rise hotel but has an elevator

attentive and accomodating staff, we were even ushered to our room which was just at the second floor hehe

provided fresh towels, toiletries and slippers!!

rainshower with hot water! 🤗

everything is working well (aircon, tv, door / window locks, flush)

clean swimming pool plus pool towels (though we were not able to swim)

they have a medidation garden which smells reaaallly good and is super quiet. perfect for some alone time

What I don’t like:

P1,000 deposit upon check in (refundable upon check out if no damage incurred)

intermittent in-room wifi

i don’t like the fact that i was not able to avail of the free foot massage 🙃

They also have a restaurant called Tabla which serves mostly Filipino dishes, pasta and the likes. We tried bagnet, tuyo pasta and garlic rice for dinner. Good for sharing and total bill is only around P400+.

As with breakfast, they usually serve it buffet style on weekends and plated on weekdays. But according to the receptionist, if they have enough guests they do buffet breakfast on weekdays and true enough we enjoyed it even on a Friday morning. 😊

What also makes Selah Garden Hotel unique is that they offer activities for adventure seekers. It may not be obvious on photos, but they have facilities for wall climbing, free fall, zip line and scuba diving lessons! As you may notice, the pool goes from 4ft deep to 10ft. That is because it doubles as facility for scuba diving lessons. They also have an in-house spa service. This is indeed a place for both relaxation and adventure!

Let’s now go to the best part: the cost. You might think that it will cost a lot to stay somewhere with these features. Of course not! I will not stay here if it’s expensive in the first place haha. Regular rates play around P3000 for a flagship room for 2. This one, I booked via Traveloka with regular rate of P2390 but since it’s my first booking I got P600 off so I only paid P1790, amazing isn’t it? 😊

By the way, I noted on my reservation that I will be staying during my birthday and asked for some treats. Not really expecting any so ayun, wala nga haha! Nice try, Les. 😂

So there, you might want to consider Selah Garden Hotel for your future staycations. Have fun!